Baba Ganoush & Toasted Pitta

📝 Ingredients

• 3 medium aubergines (about 900 g)
• 3 tbsp tahini (45 g)
• 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp to serve
• 4 pita breads
• 10 g fresh parsley
• 1 pinch of smoked paprika
• Salt

🍴 Utensils

• Baking sheet
• Baking paper
• Blender
• Colander
• Tablespoon
• Knife

📖 Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Wash the aubergines and prick them 5 or 6 times all over with a fork, otherwise the steam can make them burst. Place them whole on the baking tray lined with baking paper.
2. Roast for 45 minutes, turning them halfway through. They are ready when they have completely collapsed, the skin is wrinkled and blackened in places, and the flesh is very soft when pressed with a spoon. If not, give them another 10 minutes.
3. Put the aubergines in the colander so they cool and release their liquid. Cut each pitta into 6 triangles, spread them out on the tray and toast them in the hot oven for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden at the edges. Keep an eye on them: they burn quickly. Turn off the oven.
4. While the aubergines cool, juice the lemon, peel the garlic and remove the green shoot if there is one, and finely chop the parsley, keeping a few whole leaves to garnish.
5. After 10 minutes, split the aubergines in half lengthways and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, scraping close to the skin. Leave it to drain in the colander for 10 minutes, pressing it lightly: too much water would make the dip bland and runny.
6. Blitz the aubergine flesh with the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt in short pulses: the texture should be creamy but not completely smooth. Taste and adjust the salt or lemon.
7. Spoon the baba ganoush into a shallow bowl, make a swirl with the back of the spoon and pour the remaining teaspoon of oil into it. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and parsley, then serve warm or chilled with the pitta triangles.